CW3E Welcomes Dr. Cody Poulsen

October 22, 2025

Cody Poulsen joined CW3E as a postdoctoral scholar in October 2025. He earned a B.S. in Environmental Systems with a focus in Environmental Chemistry (2018) and a M.S. (2019) and PhD (2025) in Earth Sciences from University of California San Diego. Cody began his tenure at CW3E as an undergraduate researcher in the summer of 2016. In 2018, he transitioned into a PhD, advised by Dr. Marty Ralph. Cody’s PhD research explored the temporal variability and mechanisms of seasonal precipitation in western North America. He used paleoclimate proxies, climate models, and observational records to investigate hydroclimate variability at time scales from hours to centuries. Applying novel research to enable improved water management decisions was the guiding principle throughout his PhD.

Cody’s postdoctoral research will focus on the applications of tree-ring reconstructions of precipitation in Southern California, to study multi-century changes in atmospheric rivers and extreme precipitation. In addition, he will explore the conditional predictability of western North America spring precipitation anomalies based on winter precipitation and the state of the Pacific Ocean. Cody will also contribute to the FIRO program and looks forward to applying his research to help inform water management practices.